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The Meaning of Dietary Diversity: Cultural Ideals and Food Insecurity in Nicaragua

Cary, Adelaide Stull
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1494259342318402

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Anthropology.
Food insecurity (FI) is often associated with lower dietary diversity (DD), which can have important implications for human health. In this thesis, I tested the relationship between perceived household food security status and DD in a sample of Nicaraguan households, considering how the cultural meaning of different food items shapes maternal perceptions of household food security. Data were collected from 455 households in urban and rural zones within the municipality of Leon, Nicaragua. The Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA) was used to measure household FI. The Nicaraguan 48-item food frequency questionnaire was used to measure DD over a 7-day period. Data from focus group interviews were used to explore notions of ideal foods and meal composition. Households were classified according to their level of FI: food secure (24.6%); mildly FI (49.7% of households); moderately FI (15% of households); and severely FI (11% of households). Results of Kruskal-Wallis tests showed significant differences between FI groups in DD, as gauged by both aggregated and disaggregated measures. Spearman’s Rank Correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between greater FI and DD using both an aggregated and dis-aggregated measure (correlation coefficients -0.364 and -0.246, respectively). Moreover, ordinal regression analysis indicated that higher levels of household FI were significantly associated with a lower frequency of consumption of 9 of the 48 foods including: red meat, poultry, tortillas, and milk. I considered the cultural value of these foods in effort to advance our understanding of the link between perceived FI, DD, and dietary preference among these Nicaraguan households.
Barbara Piperata, PhD (Advisor)
Mark Hubbe, PhD (Committee Member)
Douglas Crews, PhD (Committee Member)
80 p.
Physical Anthropology
food security; dietary preference; dietary diversity; culture; food culture

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Cary, A. S. (2017). The Meaning of Dietary Diversity: Cultural Ideals and Food Insecurity in Nicaragua [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1494259342318402

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Cary, Adelaide. The Meaning of Dietary Diversity: Cultural Ideals and Food Insecurity in Nicaragua. 2017. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1494259342318402.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Cary, Adelaide. "The Meaning of Dietary Diversity: Cultural Ideals and Food Insecurity in Nicaragua." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1494259342318402

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1494259342318402
439
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.